In some medical procedures, in a process known as intraoperative autotransfusion, blood lost by a patient is collected or salvaged to make it available for reinfusion back to the patient. Prior to reinfusion, the collected blood is washed and concentrated to make it safer for the patient. Typically, red blood cells are separated from plasma that contains undesirable elements, such as fat, activated clotting proteins, anticoagulant, activated platelets, coagulation by-products, cellular debris, and free hemoglobin.
In some autotransfusion systems, the components of the blood are separated using a centrifuge bowl. Salvaged blood is put into the centrifuge bowl and the autotransfusion process separates the components of the blood such that the undesirable components can be discarded while retaining and reinfusing the desirable components back to the patient. After use, the centrifuge bowl is discarded.
Existing autotransfusion systems are relatively expensive and fairly complicated. Complicated systems require extensive setup time and can be assembled incorrectly. Moreover, different medical procedures result in greater blood loss, and therefore require centrifuge bowls having different fluid capacities.